Egypt Considers Banning The Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO (Reuters)
- Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi has
proposed the
legal dissolution of the Muslim
Brotherhood and the government
is studying the idea, a government spokesman said on Saturday
(August 17).

According to the health ministry, 173 people died on Friday in
violence that erupted when security forces cracked down on
Islamists protesting against the army's
removal of Muslim Brotherhood President
Mohamed Mursi last month.

Beblawi had made the proposal to the minister of social
affairs - the ministry responsible for licensing non-governmental
organisations, spokesman Sherif Shawky said.

"Of course we must find a legal route to
the dissolution of this group, and this is being
studied currently," he said.

Speaking to reporters, el-Beblawi said there was no
chance of forgiveness for those who had
hurt Egypt.

"There is no reconciliation with those whose hands are covered in
blood. There is no reconciliation for anyone who has raised arms
against the country, against its people. There is no
reconciliation with those who have broken the law," he told
reporters.

The Brotherhood was dissolved by Egypt's
military rulers in 1954, but registered itself as a
non-governmental organisation in March in a response to a court
case brought by opponents of the group who were
contesting its legality.

The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, also has a legally
registered political arm, the Freedom and Justice
Party, which was set up in 2011 after the uprising that led
to the downfall of veteran autocrat Hosni
Mubarak.